Building IRL community, remotely
I love (good) in-person events.
A fair amount of what makes a good in-person event is:
Who is there
What is going to happen at the event
Why people are gathering and
Managing expectations
And a lot of this is done remotely!
In 2024, the Chief of Staff Network hosted 60+ IRL events. Last week, we had events in Seattle, Dallas, and San Francisco, and I did not attend any of these!
Here is how you can produce IRL events… remotely, based on what I do at the Chief of Staff Network.
Find a local host(s). Sometimes, it is a local leader who has lived in the area for awhile. Or sometimes it is someone who is newer to a city or the role, and is looking to meet new people.
Determine the likely event size and format. We host smaller meetups at coffee shops and bars, and mixers with programming at nice offices. The event format is based on the expected number of attendees. It’s better to have more people in a smaller space than the opposite. If there is more than ~15 people, we will host a mixer.
Select the date and venue. Work with the local host on picking a date and a location once the event format is determined. Sometimes, I help secure a venue if needed.
Get the word out: I create a Luma RSVP page and start getting the word out through our different marketing channels.
Ramp-up event marketing efforts as needed to make sure you (ideally) have the right number of people registered.
Communicate, communicate, communicate: I handle most of the pre-event communication with attendees, venues, and speakers (if applicable). Based on hosting my own events, I know that pre-event communication leads to a better attendance rate.
Handle F&B ordering to simplify things for the local hosts.
Playing an air traffic control-like role: The last few hours before an event are important, so I am really mindful of my calendar that day and time. I coordinate the F&B delivery (if any) with the local hosts and venue partners, and answer any last-minute questions from attendees.
Boom! The event is now up and running!
Afterwards, I gather insights and feedback on how (well) the event went.
Post-event follow-up communication: Send a post-event recap email to attendees.
Rinse and repeat.
When people think of IRL events, they think they have to be there.
But I am here to say that you don’t have to be there, while still building community!
NYC Gatherings: check out my NYC Gatherings calendar for fun gatherings to attend!
🎧 Podcast Episode
In this week’s podcast episode, you will learn about overcoming setbacks as a community builder or a creator. One takeaway I had from this was that things are not always as bad as they seem in the moment. If you are going through something, I hope this episode is helpful!
To building community,
David Nebinski who also wanted to share what is day-to-day is like. What is your day-to-day like? Reply back and let me know!
PS: if you have not listened to this song recently, you are welcome!